TV is the New Reading

ABC’s ‘V’ just

chock full of crazy

conspiracy theories

The Visitors returned to ABC this week and here’s where it’s fun to have the tiniest bit of history on these actors. Five episodes in and the improbably beautiful Morena Baccarin – otherwise best known for her role as a futuristic sex worker in “Firefly” – is having spaceship sex in "V."

It fit the pattern. Baccarin, as Ana, leader of the Visitors, shared a seductive meal of fugu, Japanese blowfish, to convince her media representative to run a story promoting the V health centers, and the vitamin R6 everyone’s getting injected with. Based on about an hour’s worth of lab work, a random med tech – not necessarily even trained in genetic science – determined there’s a “compound” in the R6 that fuses with human DNA and transmits a signal.

First off, how? Secondly, how is that useful? They have superior technology and sense of smell and they can tell where all the humans are anyway ... Oh, I see. There’s a census going on and the concept of tagging everyone so they can be hunted down and eaten fits the paranoia du jour.

I’ve been thinking about this paranoia exhibited among the anti-Visitor so-called fifth columnists, and I think it’s pretty well thought out. In the show, these people base their suspicions and resistance on concrete facts they can experience and verify. Erica witnessed the reptilian form of her long-time partner. The flu shots are sinister because they contain this genoactive compound. Universal health care is the most direct way for the Vs to gain control over us. And based on Ana’s preferred post-coital nourishment, we all need to be worried about them eating us as well.

In the show, the paranoid crazies are in fact borne out in their hysteria and this ragtag group of ruffians with their rogue agent Erica and studly priest dude and Ryan Nichols, the good V, might save the very world from its sleep-walking, far-too-trusting self. Meanwhile, there are no Vs, this show is a work of fiction, but probably prominent conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck thinks it’s a documentary. “Go back where you came from, illegal aliens, and take your so-called vitamins and universal health care with you!”

'Castle'

Dana Delaney’s two-part guest appearance on “Castle” was a thing of beauty. Delany as Katherine Mayfair had been married to Nathan Fillion as Adam Mayfair on “Desperate Housewives,” sticking with the “Firefly” alumni for a moment.

Delany’s appearance as FBI profiler Agent Jordan Shaw helped take NYPD homicide detective Kate Becket out of the driver’s seat of the investigation when she was targeted by a serial killer obsessed with Fillion as crime fiction author Richard Castle, or more to the point, his literary creation “Nikki Heat.” This gave her a chance to bond with Castle and deepened their relationship.

Also in the course of the two-parter, the writers managed to sneak a Castle sleepover at Kate’s and a Kate sleepover at Castle’s (nothing happened – of course, but they made breakfasts for each other). Kate’s apartment was destroyed in an explosion set by the serial killer, who then managed to evade FBI capture and in fact kidnap Jordan.

It was all terribly exciting and took all their investigative skills to but I was taken right out of the show when FBI Agent Jordan Shaw insisted that Castle leave her tied up and go after the serial killer. While the writers wanted the nice symmetry of bringing the serial killer to justice – he was obsessed with Nikki Heat, the co-creation of Becket and Castle, so both Becket and Castle were involved with bringing him down – Jordan Shaw is a trained FBI agent and Richard Castle is ... not. In fact, when he wings the guy to save Kate Becket, he essentially admits that he missed his target. Shaw would’ve accepted delaying the showdown by another 15 seconds to let Castle untie her so she could go after him herself.

“Castle” is an excellent show, and it’s been picked up for a third season which gives us all something wonderful to look forward to as well.

Premieres to keep an eye on, not much new on the box this week. Locally, the Minot Area Theatrical Society production of “Let’s Murder Marsha” opens Thursday at the Vegas Motel on North Broadway with dinner theater Friday and Saturday and luncheon Sunday catered by Sevens, and there’s a link for more information in the show notes.

I missed the return of “Bones” and “Fringe” this week but I anticipate picking those up online when I get a chance – they certainly looked fantastic. Otherwise, there’s a couple of two-hour specials on the grid, one on “24” Monday starting at 9/8c on FOX, now that that show it has been announced will be closing down end of this season, and “Brothers and Sisters” next Sunday at 9/8c on ABC which ... one can only hope.

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